Happy Endings
by XyeahyeahsowhatX
Summary: What if Guinevere was pregnant when Arthur never returned from Camlan? Thirteen years after the events of Merlin, Gwen's twins, Uther and Elya, and Merlin's son (more about the mother later...) Kai are happy, and Camelot is just getting over the loss of their king. But when a girl is found wandering the woods, everything changes. (T for some implied stuff.) FULL DESCRIPTION INSIDE
1. Shock

**Happy Endings**

**Chapter Uno**

**The Scar That Remains**

**A/N ~ Oh, look, I went Spanish! Sorry. Down to business. So, this is basically about the children of our original little angsty quartet. You should probably read the following for it to make sense.**

**YOU SHOULD PROBABLY READ THE FOLLOWING : I have tweaked things so that Guinevere was (although she didn't know it) pregnant with twins when Arthur died, and Freya was reincarnated, long enough to have a short relationship with Merlin, before there was a whole 'balance of life' thing and she had to die again in order for their son (!) to live. **

**(The Freya thing was originally going to be a fanfiction of its own, but when I had it complete, I realised I didn't like it, and decided not to post it)**

**Oh, and there's a little pleasantly unpleasant surprise wandering lost in the forests...**

Merlin was leaning under a tree, letting the heady spring evening sunlight filter through the branches and fall down upon him. Summer was definitely on it's way in. It was peaceful here. He could close his eyes, and listen to the sound of the leaves rustling in the spring breeze, and the twisting ribbon of stream laughing, and he could pretend it was like the old days.

He could pretend it was Freya, over there. Or he could go back further, pretend Arthur was hunting some innocent little animal over there...

It had been nearing on fourteen years since the Battle of Camlann, and Camelot was not even close to finishing mourning their lost king. Of course, of late, they hadn't really had _time_ to mourn, not properly. Eight months after Arthur's death, Queen Guinevere and the whole of Camelot celebrated the birth of the twins, though it was always tainted, every last bit, because neither Uther, named for his grandfather, or Elya, named for her uncle, would ever know their father.

But nonetheless, it was good, a breath of fresh air in the chaos and depression Arthur Pendragon had left behind.

"Father!" A voice breaks him out of his thoughts. "Father, I think there's something down there!"

He opens his eyes. Kaius, his son, is running towards him, panting, pointing wildly behind him.

"Kai? What? What's down where?"

Kaius was nearly a year younger than the twins. But... Kaius was a different story. And it wouldn't do to dwell on what was lost. Who was lost. It was strange. He thought his life, his purpose, everything had ended with the war, but it hadn't. Not really. It had just begun.

Kai looked down at his feet. He had just turned thirteen, and Merlin had been training him as a physician. He showed promise, and, what's more, interest. He showed an interest in learning the ways of healing people, and helping people, and, then, of course, the magic. Kai's adept skill grew vaster with every passing day, just as Merlin's had at that age. He wondered if one day, Kai would be more skilled than he. After all, he could _practise_ more now Guinevere had lifted the ban.

When she confronted Merlin about the sorcerer at Camlann, she had set forth the decree that magic could be freely and openly practised, so long as those who used magic as a force to break other laws could be punished as such. The people had not been sure how to respond to that, but when the stories of Emrys' deeds started circling, they had adjusted. It was still strange, to be open about it, after all these years.

Kaius would grow up as Merlin never could. He could be himself, completely, entirely himself. He would not had to hide. No Morganas would sprout from hiding. No more innocents put to death.

Kai gnawed on his lip. "I don't know. But I heard something down there. Down the stream. I thought I should just check with you... there aren't any... creatures... in these woods, are there?"

Merlin laughed, and ruffled his son's dark hair. "No. Of course not, silly. But I'll have a little check for you, if it would make you feel safer."

He smiled slightly. "Thanks. But just don't – don't mention it to Uther or Elya."

Merlin put a finger to his lips. "If there's one thing I'm good at, it's... keeping secrets."

They set off, trudging through the undergrowth beside the steady twining of the bluish-green waters.

"Father?" Kai asked.

"Yeah?"

"How did you live... like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like, having your entire life be a lie. Hiding."

"With practise. Kai, have people been telling you things about before the war again?"

"No." He sighed. "It's just... Sh! Did you hear that?!"

Kaius put up a hand, eyebrows furrowed, trying to stay still and turn his head around all at the same time. Merlin couldn't hear anything.

"There's nothing there, son. Sit down."

Reluctantly, the boy sat down on the edge of the waters.

Kaius reminded him of himself in so many ways. He was tall, gangly, awkward. Trouble always sought him out, no matter where he tried to hide, much like Merlin's memories. Yet, maybe the more apt words for 'trouble' was 'the Pendragon twins'. Uther and Elya were always trying to encourage Kai into their swordplay and hunting, but Kaius just wasn't that type of boy. He was... quiet. On the outside, at least. Kai was reluctant to join with the other people his age at court, at least, those who didn't know him too well. Elly and Uther were different. They were almost family.

Merlin was proud of his son, beyond all words. He was hard-working, intelligent, and kind. It astounded Merlin sometimes. He looked like him, tall and skinny and pale, with dark hair that never seemed to stay neat, but his eyes were all Freya.

There were times, when all Merlin could see when he looked into his dark eyes, was Freya.

"Uther tried to get me to catch fish in this stream once. Elya didn't want to and he didn't want to go alone. He thought there were things in these woods. That's why I just – "

"Don't you listen to Uther, Kaius. He likes to scare people."

"Yeah, but he said there were these scorpion things, Serkets, and you once mentioned you were stung by a –"

"Miles from here." Merlin put a hand on his son's. "No need to worry about it. And anyway. I'm here. And you have your magic."

Kaius smiled at him, somewhat reassured, and focused hard on the swirling waters. Merlin saw his son's eyes flash golden, and some of the water rose shakily into the air, dripping, and spun into a ball. Merlin laughed and clapped and Kai's focus broke and the water dropped back with a splash, spattering them with icy droplets.

"Hey! You put me off!" Kai pushed Merlin playfully and Merlin pushed him back.

"I did not!"

"You so did, you – "

He broke off, startled, as the sounds returned.

Merlin heard it too, this time. Kaius turned to him just to make sure, but before he even spoke, Merlin nodded, and rose, brushing the dirt off of him. There was something here with them. Kai was right.

"Wait here."

"But – "

"_Wait here._"

It sounded like someone running. Whether it was to something or away from something, Merlin didn't know. From past experience, he wasn't entirely sure he _wanted_ to know. He trod carefully, holding his breath so as not to startle what he deduced to be some kind of weak animal, from the sounds it made, tracking the light footfalls and breathing.

"Hello?" He called out, uncertainly, squinting. The forest grew denser here, trunks grouping together, branches outstretched overhead. He turned around and his heart stopped, before he realised it was only Kai.

"You followed me!"

His son shrugged.

Merlin gazed into the trees.

"Hello? We aren't going to hurt you? Is anybody there?"

They waited with baited breath for a few minutes, before, slowly, they began to see someone emerging gingerly from the trees, stumbling, terrified. It was human. Definitely human.

Merlin felt his blood turn to ice when the shape became clearer. It was her. The image of his nightmares but – no, as she came closer, he saw this was not the woman who stalked his nightmares of the past. Morgana was dead, after all.

The girl looked maybe fifteen, sixteen, less, and stick-thin, like she was going to snap at any moment. He faltered, and exchanged a look with Kai. She was filthy, covered in dirt and what Merlin and Kaius sincerely hoped was not blood. She looked sick. There were leaves and twigs tangled in her dark hair. When Merlin studied her eyes, she looked _terrified_.

"Who are you?" Merlin asked cautiously.

The girl hung back, faltering half-behind a tree trunk. She was dressed in tattered clothes far too big for her.

"We aren't going to hurt you."

She looked accusingly at them, from Kai to Merlin and back again.

"My name is – my name's Aithirya." She swallowed. Her voice sounded familiar, but dry and cracked, like old parchment, like she hadn't drunk in a while.

"Aithirya." Merlin smiled slightly, reassuringly (he hoped) before returning to all seriousness. "What happened to you?"

"I ran away."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to die," The was she said that made it sound like there was an _'idiot'_ missing off the end.

"Die? What was going to kill you?"

"Trust me, you do _not_ want to know him." She shook her head slightly as she spoke, trying to sound arrogant but her eyes remained unfalteringly petrified.

Him. Ah. A person. Not a beast or something as Kai had worried about.

"Well, you're safe now. Come, come here, it's fine, we aren't going to hurt you."

Warily, she moved foreward a little.

"Kaius, give her some food. Give her the apple you didn't want earlier."

Kai nodded and pulled the apple from his bag, tossed it at her. She caught it and looked at it suspiciously, like it might be poisoned.

"Why do you expect me to trust you?"

"Why wouldn't we?"

She shrugged. "People tend to hear my full name, and get scared, or try and hurt me. I don't know why. I only really got away a year ago. I don't know much about out here, yet. Except people hear what I have to say, and then they go weird. They treat me differently." Reluctantly, she took a bite from the apple.

"What? What _is _your full name?"

She swallowed, at looked at him with eyes full of terror. He knew those eyes. The sinking feeling in his gut told him he was right before she spoke. He was already putting the pieces together.

"Aithirya Pendragon. Of Amata. At least, I was. Of Amata. I ran away. My father _was_ the Sarrum, but he died a long time ago, and his son, was –"

"_What? _Arthur and Guinevere never – you can't be a - _"_

Kaius was as confused and shocked as ever. Nothing made sense to him. Somehow, Merlin wasn't feeling that. Merlin watched the girl look his son in the eye, with her sea-green eyes that were so like her mother's.

"Not _them_. The other Pendragon. The sister. Morgana."

Kaius nearly fell over, he was so shocked. Merlin didn't. This girl was older than the twins, by a few years. It all fitted together. _Of Amata_. It was obvious. He swallowed.

_What the hell am I supposed to do now?_

**A/N ~ Ooh! I really enjoyed writing this. Next chapter will be mostly Kaius's POV. I know this might be a bit confusing, but just PM or review if you have any questions. Please review anyway, reviews help my inspiration! Morgana's daughter is named Aithirya, because I towards the end, the dragon was all she cared about. And just to let you know, Aithirya was taken from her mother at birth, and the Sarrum's men and other children raised her until she escaped. **

**(I found myself unable of even talking of the implications the Sarrum made, and now here I am expanding on it! Oh, how the interest of hopefully decent-ish writing change me, eh?)**

**PLEASE REVIEW. **


	2. Ignorance

**Happy Endings**

**Chapter Two**

**Ignorance**

**A/N ~ Hello! I don't think anyone's reading this, but hello! To you! If you are! Moving on! Um... badumdadumdadum, what was I saying? Right. So, this chapter is from Kai's POV. As always, if you're confused about something, ASK! And also, REVIEW, since reviews spark my inspiration. **

Elya was running over to him, golden-brown curls bouncing.

"Kai!" She shouted. "Kai!"

He whipped his head around, squinting in the sun. "Yeah?"

"Merlin wants you!"

"What for?"

"I don't know! He just said to come to his chambers."

Elya reached him and stopped, panting, smiling. She was very nearly a year older than him, but shorter by far, pretty, and everyone said she had her father's deep blue eyes. Kai didn't know. From everything his father, and the queen, and the knights, and, well, everyone said about King Arthur, he wished he could have had the chance to meet him. He nodded, thanked her and turned in the right direction.

When he arrived in his father's chambers, he could see immediately that his father wasn't right. Kai knew these things about Merlin. He was worried, stressed, about something, fiddling with things in a bag on his bench.

"Father? Are you... are you alright?"

"Fine."

"You look worried."

Merlin looked up and studied his son. Kai noticed he had the dark rings of a sleepless night under his eyes. There was a long silence, before Merlin spoke.

"I am." He sighed. "Come on, Kai." He swung the bag up over his shoulder and stood.

"Where are we going?"

"The queen wants me to take a look over - Aithirya." He faltered.

Kai didn't understand. What was so wrong with that? "Why is that worrying you?"

Merlin shook his head and plastered on a smile Kai knew was fake, for his sake, and his sake alone. "Never mind. Just things from a long time ago. Before you were born. You don't need to worry about me."

Neither Kai, nor Uther, nor Elya had been told much of the war, of why the twins would never know their father, or why Camelot's greatest king had fallen, but that they wouldn't, that he had, that there was a great war, and one sorcerer had restored Camelot's faith in magic. Kai didn't think this was fair. They deserved the truth, he deserved the truth. Which nobody was giving to him. Or the twins.

"You're scared she's like her mother, aren't you?"

He didn't reply.

"I don't even know what the fuss is. I don't even know what her mother did. She's not her mother."

Silence.

"Father?"

"Kai, that's enough."

"But I –"

"Kai. Just deliver this to the queen, ok?" He pressed a small bottle of clear fluid into Kai's hand. His son stared at it.

"What is it?"

"Kai. Don't. Please, don't. Just go. She'll be in her chambers."

"But shouldn't I –"

"Kaius. Go."

He sighed and strode off down the cloisters, feeling for all world like a dog directed this way and that by so many owners. He didn't understand. Why was nobody telling him anything? When he arrived at the Queen Guinevere's chambers he hesitated, knocking softly on the wood of the door. He was greeted by her servant, Taea, who brought him through to her.

Guinevere was a good queen, Kai knew. He saw her just and fair she was, as much as the rest of the world. But he also saw that she was a deeply unhappy person. Ever-mourning. Surrounded non stop and yet always so alone.

"My lady?"

She was standing by the window, just standing. Not doing anything. Gazing out through the glass, with a far away gaze, surrounded, as ever, by a haze of melancholy distance. She had one hand up against the glass.

"It's been thirteen years, Kai," She said softly, not looking around. "Thirteen years, and I still can't understand how I'm never going to see him ride back through those gates."

Kai lingered awkwardly in the arching doorway. He never knew how to respond to things like this.

Her voice wavered slightly. "The first year after his death, Kai, I stood here, every morning, and I waited for him." She closed her eyes tightly, pressing her lips together, and yet a singly tear fell from beneath her eyelid despite it. "I knew I was kidding myself, I knew he was never coming back, but…" She shook her head.

"I –" He faltered. He didn't know what to say.

She plastered on her smile and shook her head, wiping at her eyes. "Oh, don't mind me. I'm just being silly." Her eyes snagged on the bottle in his hand, and once more her face fell. "Your father sent you, I presume?" She held out a hand and he reluctantly handed over the liquid.

"What is that, my lady?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with. Run along."

"My lady – " He drew in a deep breath. "Does that have anything to do with Aithirya?"

The queen's expression was unreadable.

"Kaius. I think you should go back to Merlin, now."

"I'm sorry – I – it wasn't my place."

She sighed deeply. "No, you have every right to be curious. You don't know anything about the war, do you? The twins don't either," Then, after a long silence, she began to speak again, dreamily, as if she were talking to herself rather than him. "They saved me, you know. I was so lost when – that – after Arthur's death… Then they came along." A small smile was playing at the corners of her lips. "And I never knew how much I could love someone until them. Elya came first. Uther was a few minutes later. I never wanted to name him Uther, you see. But Arthur and I… Before the war… We had discussed possible baby names. Uther came up. I was reluctant, of course, to name any child of my body after the tyrant who killed my father but… Arthur spoke about second chances. How he could live up to the name and make us proud, redeem his grandfather."

Kai nodded wordlessly.

"I suppose I ought to give Aithirya a second chance, for – for her mother."

She looked down at the bottle, contemplating and crushed it in her hand, and then back up at Kai.

"And one day, we will tell you all what really happened."

**A/N ~ I'm going to include Kaithirya I think. That's a good ship name. Mergana was doomed from the start, so like our friend Gwen there (even though I sort of hate her), second chances are in order. And as for the little clear bottle? Well… You'll find out about that… Later. Much later. Sorry I'm an ass at updating.**


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